Broad Street Bullies' GM named to Hockey Hall of Fame

July 09, 2013|The Sports Xchange

Scott Niedermayer, Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan, Fred Shero and Geraldine Heaney became the newest inductees into the National Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Niedermayer, Chelios, Shanahan and Heaney earned their place as players, in the "Player's Category," Heaney will become the third women enshrined and Shero, who led the Philadelphia Flyers to two-time Stanley Cup Championships enters in the "Builder's Category."

The Hall's 18-member selection committee elected the group during a private meeting. The ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 11 in Toronto.

Niedermayer and Chelios go in during their first year of eligibility. Both retired after the 2009-10 season. Shanahan missed being part of last year's class of Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure.

The 51-year-old Chelios was the oldest first-time eligible candidate considered because he played until he was 48 years old. He totaled 948 points over 1,651 games, fifth all-time and most among defensemen while playing for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers.

Niedermayer is the only man to earn every major North American and international championship. He won four Stanley Cups (1995, 2000, 2003, 2007), two Olympic gold medals, the World Championship (2004), the World Cup of Hockey (2004) and the World Junior Championship (1991).

The third-overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in the 1991 NHL Draft, Niedermayer played 1,263 games over 18 seasons from 1992 to 2010 and tallied 740 points.

Shanahan won the Stanley Cup three times with the Detroit Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002) as well as the Olympic gold with Canada in 2002 and the World Championship gold in 1994. He is also one of 18 members of the NHL's 600-goal club.

Under Shero, the Broad Street Bullies won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975. He also took the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 1976 and the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final in 1979.

Heaney, a defenseman, won the gold medal with Canada at the World Women's Championship seven times (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001). She also won gold at the 2002 Olympics and silver at the 1998 Games.